Manticore Squad
by Very Dirty Dog
Summary: A ragtag squad of Kasrkin join a hunt for the Orks that killed their former comrades. Rated T for language and violence. Read and review plz i need reviews.


_Disclaimer: Games Workshop owns pretty much everything, except my PS2._

_Pleas note that this is my first fic and any constructive criticism you can give would be appreciated._

Within the hot, noisy confines of the Chimeras passenger compartment, Kilik Ragnar sat back in his seat. Kilik had been adopted by The 180th Cadian during their campaign against the Orks of Waaagh! Craslash on his home world of Rassagar when he was 12.

He stood at six feet tall, lithe as a cat and as hard as the admantium furniture on the butt stock of his hellgun. He had short, untidy, sandy coloured hair and a scruffy looking goatee. His eyes like all Rassagarans were amber in colour (The world was bathed in perpetual twilight and its human inhabitants eyes had evolved over the millennia to let them see unhindered in the half light, the by-product of this was the yellow or orange colour of the eyes). The Inquisition considered this a useful and therefore acceptable mutation and decided that the planet was not to be destroyed as a result.

The drivers voice came over the vox system.

"Distance to Ork lines 13 kilometres, ETA nine and a half minutes".

It would still be close enough ten minutes before they hit the Orks position, Kilik decided to check his wargear one last time. A razor sharp combat knife was strapped diagonally across his chest, another was strapped to his left hip, two more were securely tied to each of his boots (Got a bit of a thing for blades don't he?). At the small of his back was Kiliks sword-bayonet, 23 inches of razor edged diamond hard admantium, belted horizontally so that it didn't lodge itself up his arse when he sat down.

On his right thigh was holstered "his" laspistol. It used to belong to an officer, but after the aforementioned officers run in with that Ork Nob and his power claw, Kilik came to the conclusion that the officer didn't need it anymore, and that maybe it would bring him more luck that its previous owner.

His Mk 2 Hellgun was rested lazily across his lap. Checking his ammo Kilik made a few quick calculations. Assuming that the Basilisk crews, when they finally decided to pull finger and open fire, did a decent job of softening up those Orks in that valley he should be able to make it through this attack without having to borrow a few rounds from the more unfortunate members of his unit. A grunt to his right stirred Kilik from his tabulating.

Private Grimm had just been woken from his nap by Private Alexander, a female squad mate (Kilik suspected they were more than just mates but he kept this thought to himself).

"Better not let Strekkar catch you sleeping on the job" said Private Alexander.

"Whys that?" asked Grimm "Better to be killed by Orks than by your scrambled CO" retorted Grimm sarcastically answering his own question.

"Quiet planks" whispered Kilik "You want the 'ol Hangman to hear you?"

Both Grimm and Alexander immediately shut their mouths, pretended to check their respective weapons (a Grenade Launcher and a Plasma Gun) and glanced nervously at the commissar. He was busy talking to Master Sergeant Hanek.

Kilik looked at the faces of the other Kasrkin all around him. Besides Hanek, Strekkar and himself, all the others were new to Manticore squad.

Kilik had known Frederick Hanek since he had been adopted by the Regiment, Hanek was sort of a big brother that tried to keep Kilik out of as much trouble as he inflicted on Hanek, he was a black haired, grey eyed giant of a man standing at least six and a half feet tall and with shoulders nearly as wide as a Space Marines.

Henry Strekkar had been assigned to the squad two years ago and so far had killed a dozen of its former leaders for cowardice, he was a short, balding and angry old man with a hooked nose, a shock of silver hair and more bionic extremities than flesh ones.

Adam Grimm, Cassandra Alexander and Hans Gruber were the remnants from Raptor squad.

The only way to describe Adam was average, everything about him was average, height, build, EVERYTHING. The guy wouldn't stand out in a crowd carrying a neon sign with the words 'DONT NOTICE ME PLEASE'.

Cassandra was slim, had shoulder blade length brown hair and large hazel eyes.

Hans looked like the stereotypical Storm Trooper, his uniform was immaculate, he was a Drill Sergeants dream soldier, did everything 'by the book'.

There are four more guys in the squad but as they have the look of an extra helping of soon to be slaughtered Storm Troopers in a Star Wars movie Kilik decided there's no need to remember their names.

This squad and another three like it had been pieced together from what was left of the Grenadier Company after the last Ork assault. It had been repelled, but only just. If it wasn't for the arrival of that regiment of Armageddon Steel Legionnaires… Kilik didn't want to think about it.

Since that time they had been crammed inside the transport following the trail of the retreating Ork forces, the rest of the Regiment having returned from their patrols joined them in pursuit of the Orks. The Cadians and the Armageddonites had been joined en route in their hunt by forces from at least another dozen Imperial Guard Regiments and an entire battle company of Space Marines from the Cruzados Chapter.

The Orks were right in front of them now. This information had cost the lives of over forty guardsmen and five vehicles that used to be a scout party. The last transmission they made had told of an Ork ambush waiting in the valley ahead, they said something about flyers but the transmission turned into a scramble of screams and explosions before they could elaborate.

The sound of artillery fire broke everyone from their private thoughts. Luckily it came from behind them. The sound of 'Earthshaker' gun batteries launching their shrieking salvos through the sky towards the Orks was better than any music Kilik had ever heard.

'Bout frikkin' time' thought Kilik. 'The less of them 'skins left when we reach that valley the better.'

Over the noise of the massive guns came the sound of jet engines. All eyes within the Chimera transport immediately turned upwards, everyone trying to see through the steel shell protecting them.

Curiosity got the better of him and Kilik stood up and threw open the top hatch, Sergeant Hanek was right beside him. They both popped their heads out of the transport and looked up at the skies.

Above them a large number of the Orks crude flying machines were strafing the mechanised infantry, and armoured companies that comprised the joint forces moving towards the Orks.

"Emperor protects" muttered Hanek as he ducked back into the confines of the transport. As if in answer to Haneks prayer, a flight wing of four 'Lightning' fighters dropped from the clouds above the Ork flyers and began blasting them out of the skies.

Watching from the relative safety of the open top hatch of the Chimera transport, Kilik stared up at the sky. Unable to tear his gaze away from the swirling contrails and tracer rounds that streaked through the skies above him. Another Ork 'Eavy Bomma' burst into flames before it exploded brilliantly in a shower of red hot shrapnel.

Kilik's attention was drawn from the dogfight by the angry shout of Commissar Strekkar.

"Lance Corporal Ragnar, get your arse down from there and close that hatch! NOW!"

Kilik did as he was told, even the spectacle of the Imperial fighters, outnumbered nearly four to one by his count, tearing apart those shoddily made flyers wasn't worth dying for.

Strekkar had a nasty habit of executing people who didn't immediately follow his orders (even the people, such as Kilik, he claimed to like), and people that asked for seconds at mess… oh and anyone that looked at him "funny"… come to think of it Strekkar didn't often have a reason he just shot people.

Luckily for Kilik the commissar's murderous attention was drawn away from him when again, the drivers voice came over the vox system.

"Distance to Ork lines 1 kilometre, ETA 34 seconds".

The ten men and one woman inside the transport stood up and held onto the guide rails on the ceiling. They could hear the noise of Orks guns, and Imperial artillery duelling for dominance on the battlefield.

As the transport rumbled forwards, the battle frenzied Orks broke cover and sprinted towards it, firing their primitive firearms and succeeding only in scratching the paintwork.

In response its tracks ground to a halt and its weapons opened fire on the Orks. The multi-laser bore scorching holes in those it hit, and the heavy bolters mass-reactive 125 calibre rounds blew the savage greenskins apart in a gruesome shower of gore and body parts.

The driver yelled over the vox.

"There's a large mob of Orks at 200 metres and closing, estimating 40 plus.

"The Emperor Protects" said Kilik in a loud voice as he hit the door release control. Before Strekkar could even give the order the Cadian elite piled out of their transport, taking up firing positions just behind its offered cover.

The Orks saw this and decided that flesh was easier to chop than steel changed their target and now headed towards the eleven soldiers.

"PRESENT" Hanek screamed the order to take aim. A Hellpistol, 7 Hellguns, a Plasma Gun, a Grenade Launcher and a Storm Bolter were levelled at the Orks.

"VOLLEY FIRE ON MY ORDER… FIRE". The volley thundered from the Kasrkin squad and the Chimera lent its fire to the fullisade. The small arms fire flayed the Orks whilst the heavier weaponry alternately blew the Orks to pieces or melted the flesh from their bones in the blue glow of superheated plasma. Nearly half the Orks were dead or wounded, but enough of them still charged to overwhelm the Cadian elite in hand to hand combat. Crude firearms blazing away the Orks picked up their pace.

A wet smack followed by a loud sob just to the side of his left ear told Kilik that Grimm had lost half his head to a lucky shot from one of the Orks (lucky because Orks just cant aim, even concentrating they couldn't hit a white whale on a black backround at point blank range).

He had died instantly the sob came from Cassandra, her eyes glazing over before they narrowed and she fumbled as quickly as she could to reload her Plasma Gun. Kilik kicked away the hand of another squad mate who was trying to loot the corpse, and motioned towards Cassandra.

"Hers… besides plenty more corpses fer lootin' before this things over".

"Poor bastard only fired three shots" said Hanek in a sad voice. "Reload, fix swords, and fire at will". Hanek was rewarded with the sound of metal scraping on metal as the squad drew their bayonets and fixed them onto their guns lugs before they each emptied another magazine into the approaching Orks.

The devastating effect of a disciplined volley was gone as panic took over the squad. Each trooper reloading as fast as they could and firing sporadically into the packed mass of greenskins. The Orks fell in midstep, returning fire as they breathed their last. Three more Kasrkin were killed and Commissar Strekkar was hit in the thigh, he gritted his teeth and kept firing his storm bolter.

Somehow the Orks managed to fire off a few crude 'rokkits' whilst at a full sprint, even more amazingly (when you consider that whole white whale thing) one of them actually managed to hit the Chimera, the 'rokkit' impacting with the vehicles tracks. Kilik felt the force of the explosion even from where he was (being on the outer most flank of the squad furtherist away from the transport) and watched in horror as their escape plan literally went up in smoke.

The Orks were close now 40 metres if that, and now Kilik could here the rough, hoarse voice of the largest Ork.

"Hold on 'ta pin 'an chuk 'da 'uvva bit!". Nearly a dozen Ork grenades were thrown in the direction of the Kasrkin and their now immobile Chimera. The Kasrkin bugged out. They fell back firing as they went. Kilik smiled grimly as he noticed a small twinkling object floating through the air alongside the grenades.

'Hah' thought Kilik 'Looks like someone wasn't listening to instructions'. He watched smiling, as the Ork realised its mistake, and franticly attempted to discard the explosive.

Too late. The Ork was blasted apart in a shower of green meat, two more Orks dumb enough to be standing near it were lacerated with huge chunks of shrapnel. Luckily the Kasrkin had put enough distance between themselves and the landing explosives to avoid damage. The grenades however landed right on top of the squads Chimera and the seriously wounded. The bang was big enough to finish off the transport.

The Orks came charging through the acrid black smoke, the ground around stained by a red smear. Strekkar and Kilik were still loaded and opened fire again. Three Orks fell but it wasn't enough. The remaining greenskins with one voice gave their warcry as they closed the last few metres.

"WAAAGH!"


End file.
